Best and worst low-calorie ice lollies and ice creams for your diet

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Who can resist a refreshing ice lolly or ice cream on a sunny day? But does your favourite leave you feeling cold in the health stakes? We've revealed the best and worst ice lollies...

When the sun comes out then there really is nothing better than visiting the ice cream man for the best ice lollies or ice creams. But have you ever considered how many calories, sugar or salt is in that Cornetto? Twister? Or Fab?

Well we’ve done the leg work for you by examining the nutritional content of the best ice lollies and ice creams on the market to see which ones will leave you feeling refreshed, and which ones will leave you feeling cold in the health stakes.

Curious to know if your favourite came out as one of the best or worst? We’ve looked at classics like Twisters, Calippos, Fruit Pastilles, Magnums and many more of your frozen favourites and rated them bad to good on a calorie scale. So the next time you make a stop at the ice cream van, you’ll feel safe in the knowledge that your choice won’t be adding to your waistline (too much!)

We’ve also included the fat, sugar and salt content of each ice lolly and ice cream so you can see which ones are okay as occasional treats and which ones you can give to the children (and yourself of course) without feeling guilty.

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There are some pretty shocking results in here, one ice lolly even contains 17g of sugar – that’s 4 teaspoons! While one very popular ice cream had over half (14g) the daily allowance of saturated fat. Some ice creams also topped the sugar scale with nearly 20g of sugar – just close to the recommended daily intake of 25g for women.

Browse our collection to find out which are the best ice lollies and ice creams, and more importantly, which are the worst for your waistline.

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Magnum

A sure fire favourite on a sunny day, this chocolatey goodness on a stick just pips the Feast to the post for highest calorie count. And with such a high sugar content make sure if you're treating the kids, or yourself, you only opt for Magnums on very special occasions (or if you're feeling a bit naughty!)

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Feast

This chocolate-covered ice cream is very high on the calorie count, mainly down to the fact that everything on this ice cream is chocolate! From the solid chocolate ice cream centre, the biscuits and the chocolate flavoured coating, this is one for chocoholics, but not for those counting the calories.

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Malteser teasers

Rating for calorie-counters: 4/18 Cal: 221

Fat: 13.5gSaturated fat: 8.5gSugar: 19.9gSalt: 0.10g

Just like Maltesers, this ice cream is sure to be gobbled up quickly. But unlike a pack of your favourite sweets the ice cream version has around 50 more calories than the original version. So if you're watching your waist line go for the lighter version instead.

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MaxiBon

Rating for calorie-counters: 5/18 Cal: 196

Fat: 10.6gSaturated fat: 7.1gSugar: 15.4gSalt: 0.11g

This is one of those classic ice creams which always remind you of holidays. However the ice cream and chocolate mixture account for over half your daily recommended sugar intake - so if you can, leave this ice cream sandwich for holiday treats only!

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Snickers ice cream

Rating for calorie-counters: 6/18 Cal: 179

Fat: 10.4gSaturated fat: 5.5gSugar: 13.2gSalt: 0.13g

This gooey nutty ice cream bar is high in calories, with the sugar content tipping the scales slightly too, but if you're a fan of the original Snickers bar then it would be hard to say no to this ice cream version. If you're tempted then try and share it with a loved one, then you can delight in the taste but share the calories.

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Classic Cornetto

Even though this sweet treat is great to taste, there's a reason why we find it so tempting. The combination of the sugar-laden ice cream and chocolate means the sugar content in each ice cream is pretty high. But we know how tasty they are so don't be too hard on yourself if you want a treat now and again.

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Mars Ice Cream

Just like the original Mars bar the chocolate and caramel combo mean that this sugary treat is laden with calories and quite a lot of fats. Make sure this ice cream version of the chocolate bar doesn't melt away your healthy eating plans.

Solero Exotic ice lollies

Tropical flavoured ice lollies on the outside, they actually contain vanilla ice cream on the inside, so the calorie content is bound to be a bit higher. They certainly score brownie points for containing real mango and pineapple pieces, but just look at that sugar content!

Image credit: Nestle

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Fab ice lollies

Fab's aren't as fab as you may have thought! They're pretty high on the sugar and calorie front, but they do contain real fruit juice and you get to enjoy a bit of chocolate and sprinkles for a relatively low amount of fat.

Image credit: Walls

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Mini Calippo ice lollies

We've got to admit we love a Calippo on a sunny day, especially when the juice collects in the bottom! These mini size packs are a better option that a full sized one, but they still contain a hefty amount of sugar. Brownie points for the orange flavour though as it contains 20% real orange juice.

Image credit: Del Monte

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Del Monte orange ice lollies

Del Monte's ice lollies are full of goodness, made of 100% fruit juice, 1 lolly is full of vitamin C and 1 of your 5 a day. Whilst the lollies are pretty sugary, this only comes from the sugars found naturally in orange juice, so lick away!

Rowntrees Fruit Pastilles ice lollies

You can enjoy one of these colourful ice lollies safe in the knowledge that it's totally fat free and contains 25% real fruit juice! If only all lollies were like that... Beware though, they do contain an eye-wateringly sweet 14.6 grams of sugar.

Image credit: Asda

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Ribena ice lollies

Kids love these Ribena ice lollies (as do we!), and you can put your mind at rest knowing that they're not too bad in the health stakes. They're just 25 calories per 35ml lolly, and contain 6g of sugar, which is much better than some of the other lollies we've seen.

Mr Freeze freeze pops

Ice pops are a childhood favourite of ours, and they're a pretty diet-safe option too. They only contain a tiny amount of calories and don't contain too much sugar. Though be warned, they're not all that filling, so don't be tempted to have two!

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Nobbly Bobbly

Even though this ice cream looks small its packed with sugar, having the highest sugar content out of all the ice creams. And with strawberry flavoured ice creams and sugar balls on the outside of it there's no wonder the sugar content is high.